merry + bright . . .

hello, hello!

happy holidays to all : )  the posts have been few and far between while my list of desired posts keeps growing . . . i suppose that's what happens when work and snow attack- in full force!

at least i was able to catch up a bit yesterday and finish my goodie tins . . . 

this sampling includes tasty cookies and candies from biscotti to the {flaming} soft caramels, and chocolate covered cherries tucked below . . . so all in all considering- quite a bit- the other items i didn't get a chance to make, i'll try out in january : )

now the real question is why i am still at home and not in nevada . . . well- that would be the result of father winter . . . seems he felt a need to give us holiday presents early- as in millions of snowflakes . . . 

the pac-nw is pretty well covered with snow and the like . . . as in 8 inches in metro portland yesterday . . . our balcony flamingos began above the snow, yet they have slowly become covered - head to toe in one case!

tomorrow we will try again to begin our holiday road trip after we shovel out our car and chain the tires- yay!

all of this is probably ok, as this week was extremely busy at work for a deadline we had friday- here's a sampling of that project . . . 

as the holidays approach and we take to our coche- i bid to all a happy and wonderful holiday!  i am looking forward to relaxing, esp with my honey, and just resting up before the new year comes upon us . . . and that thirtysomething event . . . 

there is very little chance of other posts this year, but i intend to start anew with my list . . . from baking adventures to wedding recaps to general fun finds (which are aplenty via holiday shopping!) as well as an infamous start to my thirtysomething lists . . . really, they are coming!  oh- and maybe progress in the start of baking for a living : )

thanks to anyone out there reading this journal of a blog of sorts- sometimes i get disappointed that i've not been able to write more, but it's a start and i'll get better : )

i leave you with a link to the animated version of our holiday card from work that illustrates the construction of our gingerbread fire station . . . until next year . . . 

: )

doing our part . . .

you can't say we're not helping the economy!

so we've taken a few plunges . . . some larger than others, though most planned ahead (from 1 year to more than 4 years!)

(images from here, here, here, + here)

hb and i in some part needed to make a few purchases, and in other parts were putting budgeted $ to good use . . . 

purchase {a} - 'i am not a paper cup' . . . designed by james burgess and being taken by storm by the general public, this eco-friendly ceramic cup will allow me to take full advantage of one of our wedding presents . . . the espresso machine!  (and since i purchased it, i have had yummy lattes for a fraction of the cost i would pay at the coffee shop in our office building : )  did i mention it is both microwaveable and dishwasher safe?  personally, i like that it washes easily- esp when my favorite drink is a latte- i.e. contains milk - and its design is simple and understated . . .

purchase {b} - our new mac - besides being on hb's wishlist since before he met me, friends and family wanted to assist with our purchase as wedding presents- and i must admit- it has been a fabulous present : )  as my 3 1/2 y.o. laptop has decided to be mean, and hb's is just plain slow (and old, too) - we are both enjoying its use (my other 2 cents - the only sales i've seen at a mac store are on black friday and iphoto rocks! - not to mention the books you can create!)

purchase {c} - this one's a biggie- but, it had been on the list since we made our cross country move 18 months ago . . . and with additional excursions in the future it seemed like a good decision . . . however, this meant hb had to say goodbye to his beloved 'honky' (i was sad, too) that treated him quite well over the last 10 years . . . we hope this one (unnamed as of yet) will be just as kind and hopefully for just as long . . . and did i mention it has a panoramic sunroof?!

purchase {d} - here's the most recent - and something that had been in my budget all year (pre-tax work benefit!) . . . and as my current pair is over 4 years old, i'm not feeling overly guilty . . . beside, as i begin to create my thirtysomething wardrobe- the frames will be a nice addition!  (and gasp, they are red!  well, one pair is red, the 2nd pair i got free is a bit more tame / modern : ) - craziness and fun!)

now it is back to holiday shopping for others : )  which i truly enjoy . . . and holiday baking / candy making!

weekend update . . .

the weekend's gone?

insanity . . .

here's few pics and thoughts on the few days that seemed to fly by . . .

while portland has its share of rain and fog, friday morning was by far one of the most amazing mornings i have seen since living here . . . riding the bus into the city from the east, i could see buildings, then fog, then more buildings backed by a beautiful blue sky . . . all with the beams of the sunrise . . . my picture here is about 20 minutes after i had gotten to work (following our firday a.m. meeting) and some of the fog had cleared - but boy did i wish i had the morning off to follow the sun and fog . . . or even that i had my film camera with me . . . one can hope for a second chance . . .

while the day flew by, it ended with hb and i celebrating his most recent exam with 'raw, parasitic fish' as he calls it : )

then came along saturday . . . and with it a new drivers' license (new last name so i can fly to the in-laws in december - since i booked that flight pre-wedding with the new last name) and a 14-hour gingerbread fire station extravaganza - and i mean extravaganza!

imagine:

tootsie roll stockings

caramel carved into a turkey

fruit roll-up fireman coat

a tootsie roll dalmation

and . . .

a candy flower pot about an inch and a half tall (including 4 flowers)!

here's a sneak peak . . .

this is for our company's holiday card- displaying each discipline in the construction of the gingerbread fire station - it will be a video of the photos taken (every time something was placed or if it moved an inch) and should be super fun! i will try to get it on the blog once the video man finishes it in a few weeks - so stay tuned!

here we go-cco again!

although planned from the time we found our gocco on craigslist, it is nice to have finished another diy project-our thank yous- and since they will be in the mail tomorrow- here's a sneak peak . . . close up images will be posted later this week as well as my final wedding gocco project : ) it was quite fun to participate in our wedding in such a personal / creative way - it is just sad that gocco supplies are no longer in production after this year- my suggestion- snag one for yourself if possible and a handful of screens for that rainy day printing project!

architecture + wedding design

= neat-o icons for table names! and by the way- i must credit hb :) as he helped tremendously with the icon designs!


as we met in grad school for architecture, and since architecture has engulfed our lives when we are apart, it seemed fitting to incorporate some aspect of it into our big day . . . so instead of a '#' or letter or photo for our guest tables, we created architectural icons incorporating buildings, landscapes and other design projects . . . on the escort cards, we put miniature icons with everyone's name . . .

granted, we probably enjoyed the icons more than some of our guests, it was fun to add personal touches and allow others to learn a bit more about us!